Consumption of Cannabinoid molecules by humans results in intoxication. Cannabinoid intoxication in humans has been determined to be a function of a mechanism known as Cannabinoid-Mediated Depolarization Induced Suppression of Inhibition (C-DISI). C-DISI is an electrically measureable process of decoupling a neural circuit in the human brain. C-DISI occurs when a psycho active cannabinoid molecule binds to a neural Glycolipid-Protein receptor in the human brain known as the Cannabinoid Receptor type 1 (CB1). The C-DISI outcome of the cannabinoid binding results in a voltage drop from a positively stimulated voltage to −30 to 0 mV.
Marijuana naturally contains psychoactive cannabinoids. There are also a number of synthetic cannabinoid molecules that behave similarly to Marijuana. Today Marijuana has become legalized for medical consumption in 23 of the United States. Two states have legalized the consumption of Marijuana for recreational use. There are no clearly defined regulations on synthetic cannabinoids for use in the United States. Many political groups have projected that the legalization of cannabinoids for medical and recreational use will occur in the United States at the Federal Regulatory level in the near future. These movements have created a problem for the ability of law enforcement, the military, and companies to cheaply test humans for intoxication by cannabinoids in real-time to determine intoxication as is performed in the case of alcohol consumption. Testing sensitivity below 25 ng/ml of Delta-9 Tetrahydracannibanoid for portable saliva testing has yet to be achieved. The capacity to test both blood and saliva at sub 5 ng/ml and 25 ng/ml levels respectively with a portable system has not been achieved.